


An abrupt stop

by RPF_lifesource_V



Series: Reach Out, We're Here [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Dream Team Meeting, Friendship, Gen, Hospitals, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, It's really not that bad, Karl feels a bit left out, Karl-centric, Men Crying, Plus Karl, Sapnap gets hurt, Sapnap's rl name i used a bit cuz its a hospital and idk, but its like one line, but its okay, by accident, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27591590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RPF_lifesource_V/pseuds/RPF_lifesource_V
Summary: ...Hello? Karl?”“Hey Dream.” Karl stopped briefly, taking a small breath in, he reminded himself that Dream technically had no fault in this and it would be pointless and rude to project his frustration on him. “I know I’m interrupting you guys, but can you ask Sapnap if he’s still on for recording today or do we have to reschedule?”“…What?”Karl frowned at how genuinely confused Dream sounded, this did wonders to his mood.“What? Are you telling me he didn’t even tell you he had plans? Damn.” He almost winced at his bitter tone, he hated getting mad at people.“Woah, wait, no. He did tell us, he cancelled last minute cause he didn’t want you be late to your thing.”“But-,” Karl froze, that didn’t make any sense.Bad finished his question for him. “Where is he then?”------------------In which Sapnap is late, Karl thinks too much, and everyone worries.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs & Sapnap
Series: Reach Out, We're Here [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016974
Comments: 14
Kudos: 319





	An abrupt stop

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo! This is my first MCYT fic!
> 
> Tw// Car Crash
> 
> All relationships are platonic, there's no shipping here.  
> I just wanted scare the boys a bit, oops

Karl glanced at the hour on his phone once more and sighed. From his computer monitor, he heard BadBoyHalo also let out a soft exhale, through the discord call, and couldn’t help but feel in sync with the other’s contained disappointment.

They’d been waiting for Sapnap to show up for a near half hour. The Texan had agreed to collab for a video that they’d been preparing for a month already, the three of them teaming up wasn’t a usual occurrence which was why they had been ecstatic to record together and had dedicated so much time to planning the video.

So why?

Why did Sapnap agree to also record with Dream and George on the exact same day they’d arranged their own session and didn’t bother telling Bad or himself until the night prior over a discord chat. Correction, not night, because, when Karl heard the notification buzz through his phone on his desk, it was 1 in the morning.

So, technical speaking, Sapnap had ditched them today.

Well, no, he hadn’t said he would ditch them. He’d said he was probably also going to work with Dream and George before logging in with them and might be a bit late.

But, whatever, technicalities.

Karl wasn’t a person who enjoyed getting mad or feeling angry. He tried to be really friendly and approachable all the time because he that was just who he was. He didn’t often let petty things get into his head. And Bad was the same, definitely.

Even now, Karl wouln’t say that he was mad, or terribly annoyed, he was just disappointed. After all that planning and pre-scheduling, in was somewhat discouraging that, for Sapnap, the best friends came first, even if they did offer was last minute.

Ok, so maybe Karl was a little jealous, a tad bit hurt. But surely Bad wasn’t fairing any better, in fact, Bad should be even more offended than he was! He’s known the Dream Team for longer than he has, much longer.

At least Bad had Skeppy to go to, knowing the other wouldn’t just ignore him if he went to him right now.

Karl was a bit jealous of that too.

Karl couldn’t exactly blame anybody. He was still technically new to the SMP and new to his rather large group of people. It wasn’t like he didn’t have his own group of friends with what the MrBeast gang and everything, but he wanted to be a part of this too, he really liked these people and wanted to be considered a good friend to them, which was partly why he was always too willing to take part in everything, and why he’d been so hyped about this collab.

He didn’t want to look like a whiny baby to Bad, so he’d kept himself back from expressing his thoughts to him, but, apparently, that wasn’t necessary.

“It’s okay Karl, I’m sure he’ll show up any minute.”

Karl cursed silently but nodded, later voicing it when he remembered it was a Discord call and the other couldn’t see him. He scolded himself for being so dramatic and surrendered himself to waiting.

Was it sad that he couldn’t even think of a conversation topic to pass the time with the older male? He was too far in his head and had mutely decided to just flick through social media whilst Bad would kick up some tunes every once in a while.

The older of the two, surprisingly, was the one who decided to call it when the one-hour mark struck. Karl had already texted Sapnap twice and called once only to have the call ring out unanswered.

“Maybe we should plan another day?” Bad proposed quietly, which was smart considering how Karl’s mood was worsening by the minute.

“Yeah, just… Let me call Dream and ask what’s taking them so long at least.”

“I don’t know, maybe we shouldn’t-,” Too late, he’d already pressed the call button on his phone, purposely putting it on speaker so Bad could hear.

It rang only twice before Dream picked up.

_“Hello? Karl?”_

“Hey Dream.” Karl stopped briefly, taking a small breath in, he reminded himself that Dream technically had no fault in this and it would be pointless and rude to project his frustration on him. “I know I’m interrupting you guys, but can you ask Sapnap if he’s still on for recording today or do we have to reschedule?”

_“…What?”_

Karl frowned at how genuinely confused Dream sounded, this did wonders to his mood.

“What? Are you telling me he didn’t even tell you he had plans? Damn.” He almost winced at his bitter tone, he hated getting mad at people.

_“Woah, wait, no. He did tell us, he cancelled last minute cause he didn’t want you be late to your thing.”_

“But-,” Karl froze, that didn’t make any sense.

Bad finished his question for him. _“Where is he then?”_

 _“Don’t know, he called about two hours ago to say he was sorry but couldn’t do both recordings in time. Said you three had been working on your idea for a long time, so he had to make it with you two. It’s just me and George now.”_ It unnerved Karl how he could hear uneasiness seeping into Dream’s voice. _“He did mention he was going out to get food first, tho.”_

“You said it’s been two hours.”

The other side was silent for a moment, letting what was being implied sink in. The longer the silence ran the worse Karl began to feel, his previous anger being effectively doused down by the second.

He almost jumped when George’s voice came through the line.

_“Have you tried calling him?”_

“Yeah, texted too. Nothing.”

Karl heard scuffling coming from the other side of the phone call.

 _“Hold up, let me just-,_ “No, I’ll do it.” Karl interrupted Dream, clearing his throat a bit. “I’ll put you guys on hold.”

He didn’t wait for Dream or George to respond and promptly put their call on hold. With a shaky breath he dialed Sapnap once again, punching in the speaker icon since Bad could still hear through Discord.

It rang once, twice, three times, four times.

And was answered mid fifth ring.

Karl let himself breathe.

“Sapnap there you are! You’re so mean! Bad and I have been waiting for ages! And you didn’t even tell us you’d canceled with George and Dream. Not cool man.”

There was a faint crackle and background noise, like wind hitting the phone, but no Sapnap.

Karl swallowed, a heavy feeling had settled in his chest.

“…Hello? Buddy?”

Finally, there was life. The sound of someone clearing his throat and coughing, twice, before answering.

_“H-Hello?”_

Karl’s stomach dropped. The voice on the other side was frail, wobbly and downright scared.

It was also female.

“I-, you’re not-,”

_“I know. I-I shouldn’t have picked it up, but it was ringing so much so I just did and- oh god, there’s blood on this-,”_

Karl felt his heart plummet just as Bad inhaled sharply.

_“Oh my goodness.”_

“W-What happened? Why do you have his phone?”

_“I-I already called an ambulance, but they’re still-,”_

“What happened?!”

The girl gave a faint sob. _“A car swerved in front of him from the opposite lane, I-I saw them crash right in front of me! I was just walking home from school! I don’t-, I rushed in to help, but I can’t them out, they’re still inside. I called an ambulance a bit ago, and there are people now, they’re trying to help too… Uh, his windshield is broken, and the phone was on the asphalt.”_

The girl went quiet after that, crying softly.

Bad was crying too and talking to someone from his side, hurriedly in a panic.

And Karl?

Karl suddenly couldn’t breathe right.

Nothing made sense, Sapnap was supposed to be home, inside his room, making a stupid video with them since over an hour ago. But then he ditched them for his friends? But then he ditched his friends?

And now a car accident?

How… How long ago was that?

And Karl had spent all this time getting mad at him, blaming Sapnap over his own self-deprecating feelings, playing victim since the beginning. The dread inside him was growing exponentially, threatening to consume him.

What if Sapnap died? What if he was already dead?

_“Hello? I-I’m so sorry-_

He snapped back to himself, finally taking a breath in. He needed to know.

“Is he alive?! Can you check?!”

There was a yelp. _“I-I’m not sure, People pushed me away to help, I don’t know if I can get close enough again.”_

“Then ask them!” It wasn’t fair to yell at her but being polite was the farthest thing in his mind at the moment.

There was a scuffle through the call, he heard her yell at the crowd she’d mentioned. The couple of seconds that it took them to respond were the most agonizing of Karl’s life.

Finally, he heard her thank someone and turn back to the call. _“He’s breathing. And they’ve got him out the car.”_

“Oh Thank god.”

A gasp through the call. _“The ambulance is here! Finally! He’ll be okay now!”_

Karl nodded, about a minute ago he’d already started moving around his room, barely noticing that Bad had just left the Discord call. Grabbing his shoes, wallet and keys, he stopped at his door when the girl said he was going to hand over the phone to the EMTs.

“Wait!”

_“Yeah?”_

“What’s your name?”

_“…Courtney.”_

“Thank you, Courtney, you have no idea how many people you’ve just helped.”

_“I, uh- um, you’re welcome?”_

Then they said their goodbyes and hung up. Karl was already at the front door, phone pressed against his ear.

…

_“Yeah?”_

“Jimmy,” Karl said, stepping into his car, “I need your help”

* * *

Karl had been halfway to the airport, with Jimmy still on the phone giving him the details of the flight he’d booked for him, pulling some strings to have Karl be on that plane pretty much the second he stepped in the building, when Dream’s caller ID popped up. Karl’s mouth went dry as he just then realized that he’d completely forgotten about the rest of the Dream Team.

“Hold on for a bit, Jimmy.” He said and accepted Dream’s call.

“Dream, I’m so sorry. So so sorry, Sapnap got into a car crash and they took him to the hospital, I forgot to tell you cuz, well, I’m driving to the airport right now. I blanked out, I’m sorry-

 _“Karl.”_ Dream already knew, he could tell by the younger’s tone.

_“Bad called us a while ago. I-I’m on a plane right now actually, and, uh, they also called from the hospital.”_

Karl’s heart stuttered. “W-What’d they say?”

Dream took a shaky breath. _“Nothing concrete. I’m Sapnap’s emergency contact after his step-mom for some god forsaken reason. Uh, they couldn’t get her, so they called me. They said he was pretty banged up, but also that he was lucky? That it could’ve been much worse. The details were pretty vague, he’d just arrived at the ER. T-They said they might have to operate, though.”_

“Wait, operate where? Operate what?”

_“They didn’t say… You’re really heading to the airport?”_

Karl almost snorted. “Are you really on a plane?”

Dream chuckled a bit, sounding tired. _“Touché, but, uh, it makes more sense with be because, uhm-_

Karl smirked. “Hey! I’m engaged to that man! So you bet I’m gonna fly out the Texas on a late Thursday afternoon just to see his face when he wakes up!”

Dream huffed in mild amusement.

Both of them sobered up.

_“Thank you, Karl. That means a lot.”_

“Don’t mention it yet.” He perked up a bit at a realization he just had. “And hey, bonus points, I get the Dream face reveal!”

Dream laughed. _“I guess you do… Wow, I’m going to meet Sapnap for the first time.”_

Karl frowned. “Wait, for real?”

_“Yeah… How sucky is that? Definitely not how we hoped it would finally go.”_

Karl didn’t know what to respond to that, he would have tried reassuring his friend if he could, but couldn’t come up with anything helpful for some reason.

His thoughts were cut short by Dream. _“Uh, listen Karl, the plane’s about to take off, I have to go.”_

“Alright, race you there.”

_“Yeah.”_

Dream hung up and the call went back to MrBeast.

“Hey.”

_“Who called?”_

“Dream.”

 _“Oh, right…Oh, crap!”_ The older man exclaimed as he realized what Karl had also forgotten until minutes ago.

He couldn’t deny that he and Sapnap got along well and had built a reasonably good bond in a short amount of time.

However.

Dream and Sapnap were best friends.

And he knew it would destroy the other man if anything bad happened to the nineteen-year-old.

Karl winced.

_Nineteen._

* * *

Five or so hours later, after being texted the name of the hospital, Karl was rushing down the entry hall of the medical center, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the informant’s desk, he hurriedly asked for information on his friend. He was quickly pointed down a hallway. He’d turned in that direction without properly thanking the woman, and nearly froze.

There were several rows of metal chairs drilled along the wall to his right, and, sitting doubled over his head in his hands at the farthest row, was a young man with dirty blonde hair and sun tanned skin, wearing a tousled and rumpled dark hoodie, worn jeans and running shoes. That was a vague description in general, but what were the chances he was wrong? Karl thought this as he continued his hurried trek down the corridor. The other heard him approach within seconds, head snapping up at the noise.

His eyes were bloodshot and dull, his nose was a bit read from scrubbing, but Karl could see freckles stand out against his face, which looked unnaturally pale, and a look of instant recognition in those tired eyes.

He sat up a bit straighter, but offered not much more than that. “Hey Karl.”

Karl slowed his pace and bit his bottom lip, reassessing Dream’s entire demeanor.

“I don’t like that look, Dream. Did… Did something happen. Is he-?”

He saw the Floridian’s eyes widen exponentially and secretly felt relief, even as the other almost entered a panic.

“No! no! Fuck no! I’m just, I don’t.” He swallowed thickly. “I’m just really stressed, and anxious and, well, scared, I guess. I-I don’t really deal with it well, I’m a wreck and it’s probably over nothing! I mean, they haven’t told me anything but, like, no news is good news, right?”

He looked at Karl expectedly and the older sighed. He sat next to Dream and, carefully, placed a hand on his slightly trembling shoulder, purposely ignoring if it was a bit awkward considering their blatant height difference.

“Yeah it is.”

Dream seemed appeased for a moment, until he wasn’t.

“Fuck.” He cursed and went back to holding his head in his hands. The shaking much more noticeable now as it took over his hole body.

“I’m a fucking wreck Karl. I hate this. I hate not knowing.” His voice was getting strained, raw in near pain. “I hate that I can’t stop fucking shaking.”

Karl decided to reign his own nerves in to avoid making it worse for Dream, and took to rubbing circles on his back.

“It’ll be okay. We just have to wait.” He reasoned. “Is George coming?”

Dream nodded from his position. “Yeah, but the flight is long, and the layovers… He probably won’t get here until well into tomorrow.”

“And his family?”

“His step-mother is flying back from a trip to Washington. Should be here soon.”

Karl noticed how the shaking lessened with distractions and recked his brain in search of ways to continue conversation.

“Hey, I got Jimmy to book me the first flight here, and he did some weird behind the scenes thing to get me on the plane in like, no time at all. I was passing people in lines and getting like first class attention. And of course, I also flew first class. I felt like a celebrity.”

Dream chuckled and raised his head a bit. “That’s because you are.”

Karl laughed. “Sure thing, green man.”

.........

_  
_ 20 minutes later, a woman who Karl immediately guessed was Sapnap’s step-mother, came rushing down the hallway. Dream, now somewhat better composed, stood up to meet her. Karl remained sitted, giving her a curt nod and a polite, though strained, smile. The woman’s eyes were irritated and red, but she smiled back.

They all sat in silence for at least another hour.

And then a man in blue scrubs approached him. Karl’s sight zeroed in on the tiny, just barely distinguishable droplets of blood visible on the sleeves.

He knew he wasn’t the only one that noticed.

The doctor called out Sapnap’s name and all three of them stood up.

The man was unimpressed, expression unreadable other than a politely sympathetic smile out of maybe obligation. He turned to Sapnap’s step-mother. “He was very lucky. All injuries are relatively small in consideration. He’ll be okay.”

“Oh thank fuck.” That was Dream, which gained him a bemused look from the man and a relieved sob from the woman standing next to him. Karl felt light headed, a huge weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

Then Dr. Marshall, as how he’d introduced himself, began to speak again.

Busted ribs, mild concussion from smacking his head against the steering wheel, small lacerations left behind by windshield shards, and absolute rest for his left wrist for at least 6 weeks. Hand related surgeries are apparently really delicate and complicated, which was why it took over four hours to fix a ligament or whatever was it that he’d said.

“One more thing.” He added, the three of them tensed, “The police will come by shortly to take his statement.”

Karl almost chocked. “The police?”

“Car accidents have to be reported. And he was the one who crashed into Mr. Duncan, not viceversa.”

Sapanp’s step-mother breathed in sharply, Dream began to shake again.

Noticing the silent panic he’d created, Dr. Marshall sighed, lifting his arms slightly. “However, we got a blood test from Mr. Duncan, he was inebriated whilst driving. Not to mention that a witness informed how Mr. Duncan cut your son off by swerving in front of him from the opposite lane, it was only then that Nick hit the passenger side.” He stopped describing when the expressions on their faces kept rollercoasting between distressed and uncomfortable, and then alarmed in a continuous cycle.

He sighed again. “Which means there should be no issues with the cops. Unless you’re inclined to take legal action.”

Nobody added to that.

Dream cleared his throat. “Can we see him?”

“Yes. He’s been moved to the third floor, ask the desk attendant there for the room. Try not to rouse him, he’ll need rest.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

Dr. Marshall nodded curtly, and promptly left, walking into the elevator at the end of the hall where he’d come from initially.

* * *

It was bright, too bright, when Sapnap’s eyes slowly parted open.

It was very dark before, and cold, and stuffing, and so loud it all convoluted into a blaring silence.

Now it was too bright.

His body felt heavy, there was a dull ache in his bones, he felt as though he’d aged fifty years overnight. And he might have, everything was too heavy to move, he felt unexplainably weak, and breathing felt funny-

Oh. That’s an oxygen mask on his face. Did that mean he was in hospital?

His sight moved past his face as best he could. He looked around. The room he was in was mostly white, the stale white light nearly burned him. He winced and shut his eyes to hide away from the discomfort.

That’s when he felt something beside him move, shifting just slightly.

It took him more effort than he’d thought to crane his head to the side enough to look at a patch of dirty blonde hair. It took him over a second to realize that it wasn’t just a random lump of head, but someone’s head pressed up against the thin mattress he was laying on. His eyes trailed the outline until he could make out the body leaning from a plastic chair next to the bed. He froze the moment he realized that he, somehow, knew exactly who that person was.

Dream.

If Sapnap could, he’d give himself a pat on the back for recognizing his friend’s frame that he’d only seen before in one or two photos and hours’ worth of FaceTiming.

But it was Dream, in the same room as him for the first time.

And Sapnap hurt too much to even sit up and give him a hug.

“Oh! You’re awake!”

Nick snapped his attention over to where the voice had come from and startled.

“K-Karl?” He coughed to clear his throat. “You’re here too? What’s next? George?”

Karl, who’d already moved to the other side of the hospital bed, shrugged with a sheepish smile.

Sapnap blinked. “You’re kidding.”

“He’ll be a few hours late though, but yeah. Bad called a little ago too, he’s flying over later this week. Your step-mom just left to get some food, she’ll be here soon.”

The 19-year-old frowned, confused. “Why? Like, why’s everyone here?”

He didn’t like the flash of fear that took over Karl’s eyes.

“You don’t remember?”

Sapanap shook his head. “No?... I remember driving back home for our recording, but, that’s it…” He felt a pit of dread open in his stomach when realization dawned on him. “Shit, did I crash?!”

Karl looked uncomfortable when he nodded. “Some drunk cut you off, you couldn’t stop or get away in time.”

“Did I fuck up out plans?”

Karl spluttered, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.

“ _That’s_ what your worried about?!”

In Nick’s defense, that seemed like the most pressing matter not too long ago, sue him.

“I mean, yeah, we planned that for weeks.”

Karl stared at him for second, before bringing his hands to his face and sighing. “Unbelievable.”

He sounded choked up, a breath away from crying.

Sapanp wanted to say something, but, he didn’t even know how it was yet, so what could he even say?

“Nick?”

Both him and Karl perked up at the familiar voice from Sapnap’s immediate right. He turned his head and found himself staring into irritated, tired but undeniable green eyes.

Dream’s face scrunched up when he did, a sob escaping him.

“Oh thank God.”

Suddenly he had an armful of Florida Man hugging him firm but gently. His friend’s shoulders were shaking, but he didn’t say anything, hugging him back with one arm. Karl gave him a wobbly smile from his spot.

He grinned back.

“Guess we’ll have to reschedule!”

* * *

Sapnap sipped absentmindedly on the avocado smoothie that his stepmom had somehow managed to get as he looked at Dream’s phone screen while the other man scrolled through twitter. George was sitting on the edge of the bed, also on his phone despite the prominent dark bags under his eyes that strongly demanded rest. Karl was staring out the window of the room, subconsciously fiddling with the paint on his nails without looking down at his hands. If he strained his ears, Sapnap could catch snippets of the conversation his stepmom and father were having over the phone outside.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

Around fifteen hours ago, Dr. Marshall had come in and briefed him of his injuries, and not much later a pair of cops came in asking for a statement.

They asked if he would press charges, he didn’t want to.

Recovery would be a pain, but Dream and George had promised to stay for as long as they could, even Karl added his own promise to that, which touched the Texan.

“I’m still sorry about botching up our plans.” He’d said with regret.

Karl snorted and rolled his eyes, saying. “I’m just glad you didn’t die on me.” His voice had wobbled and there was something in his stare that told him that there was a lot more he wasn’t saying.

Sapnap, being the ass that he is, had responded with.

“We’re gonna get married, Karl. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Nick had laughed at both the disgruntled flush that took over his friend’s face and at the flabbergasted look on his stepmom’s.

Dream had wheezed himself off his chair somewhere in the background.

An hour later, he answered a call from Bad. Ten hours after that, he woke up to face a frantic George, who had stormed through the door and launched himself at Sapnap just as Dream had done before.

Now there was a peaceful silence, a pocket of calm after everything had settled in.

Sapanap may not be perfectly happy with being practically impaired for the next month, and the Dream Team’s first meet up may not have turned out how they’d imagined it, but his friends were here, with him, and not miles away.

He’ll focus on that for now.

Meanwhile, Karl had set a temporary peace with his internal turmoil that had begun it now seemed eons ago. Ever since he sat at the window, he’d been staring at Sapnap’s reflection with a mix of guilt and fondness.

His friend had literally endangered his life just so he could keep his promise, all the self-doubt in the 22-year-old’s head had been wiped for the moment. And yeah, best friends came first, but he’d stay too, just in case.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for making it through!
> 
> I intended this to be more Sapnap-centered, but I veered off to Karl and I'm not mad about it.
> 
> This is the first of many angst/hurt comfort MCYT one-shots that I plan to include in this series, I'm really excited to share them with everyone!
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment and leave observations, even requests! (the specifics of which will be in the series description) Til next time!


End file.
